Eleventh International Conference on The Inclusive Museum

Abstract

In October 2017 the first contemporary art exhibition was opened in Rome at the Palazzo del Quirinale (October-December 2017). The exhibition, organized by the Italian Ministry of Culture, has brought into the historical halls of the institution (a symbol of the “Italian people”) over forty artworks made by contemporary artists, both Italian and international, on the theme of urban suburbs. It was decided to create a project for the inclusion of visitors, to make them feel like a living part of this extraordinary exhibition. So an agreement was made between the Italian Ministry of Culture and the Sapienza University of Rome with the students of the “Museum Education” course, who followed a long training course to become “museum mediators.” The students welcomed the visitors in the rooms, approaching them with discretion, talking with them, and sharing the interpretations and meanings of the artworks. Between mediators and visitors an open, participated dialogue was created, without prejudices, which allowed the realization of a real form of inclusion, through art, in the building of a major institutional importance in Italy. The evaluation of the visitors’ experiences made it possible to understand that over 85% of visitors said they “felt an integral part of the building and the all project,” “understood contemporary art,” and “want to visit a museum of art in the future” thanks to the presence of students who have played the role of museum mediators. The evaluation carried out on the students also gave a positive result. The students felt included, involved, and participated because the project had a high institutional value.